Friday, October 31, 2008

I teach a political participation course, and when the course overlaps with a presidential election, I have the students form into small groups, where they analyze all the available data out there, and make a prediction. All the groups have Obama winning the election (see plot below). On the low end, Group 4 has Obama winning only 291 electoral votes, and on the high end, Group 7 has Obama winning 353 votes. Most of the groups have Obama winning in the low 300s and McCain in the low 200s. I guess we’ll see on election night which group is the closest to the actual outcome (there’s some extra credit points riding on this).

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Professor Sousa will be giving a talk to the University of Puget Sound Portland Regional Club on Thursday, November 20 at the World Trade Center, Portland. The event starts at 6 and the talk starts at 7.

He will be offering commentary on the 2008 election with the title, "Full of Sound and Fury, Signifying...What? Lessons from the 2008 Presidential Election." Sure to be interesting; hope you can make it.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Linz Heppe '07, currently in graduate school in DC and studying Arabic, has an amazing blog post from a recent stay in Egypt. If this won't make you read more, nothing will:

I waited for my translator to arrive and we proceeded with our case. The accused changed his story over night, reneging his past statements and denying the incident altogether. It was finally time to make a decision; this is the part that stuns me. My translator and detective asked me what I wanted to do, if I wanted to proceed with the case, or if I would drop the case. I was astonished. This man broke the law, and everyone in the room is asking me if I want to continue with legal proceedings, or if I would chose to let the man free!

Then they proceeded in telling me that he had learned his lesson, that he had been tortured the previous night, and that the sentence would be a minimum of 10years in prison. I broke down crying. I am a compassionate person, I do not approve of torture, and I support the rule-of-law; this situation was one of the most difficult, and uncomfortable of my entire life. And then I had to make a decision.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Caitlin McGrane is currently doing a "semester abroad" in DC with the Washington Semester Program at American University. It's a great opportunity to get exposure to the Beltway and earn credits toward your degree. Her reflections on the program are below--

The Washington Semester Program is part of American University in Washington D.C. The program consists of three parts: a seminar, internship and optional research project or elective class. There are many different programs, some related to US politics and law and others focus on international issues, journalism and business. Some programs are in DC the entire semester and others take three weeks to travel abroad.

The program I am in is Public Law; a program with no travel component. Three days a week I go to my seminar class which can manifest itself in a variety of forms. My class of 23 students from universities in the United States and abroad will either meet with political figures and experts in their place of business or on our campus as well as have more typical class lectures with only our professor. The caliber of speaker I have had so far has far exceeded my expectations. I have been able to listen to and ask questions of 11 members of congress, including the famous civil rights leader John Lewis and the currently controversial chairman of the Financial Services Committee Barney Frank. Other interesting speakers include CBS News reporter Bob Schieffer (who a week before speaking to my class moderated the third presidential debate), famous Watergate journalist Bob Woodward, Deputy Solicitor General Malcolm Stewart, Chief Judge Rufus King of the DC District Court, and Edwin Meese (the Attorney General under President Regan). In addition to these wonderful meetings I have had the opportunity to sit and listen to an entire Supreme Court oral argument, as well as conduct a mock markup of a bill in the actual House Armed Services Committee hearing room.

Caitlin with Bob Shieffer.

The other two days of the week are dedicated to an internship. The choice of internship is entirely up to the student. For my internship I chose to work for my representative, Cathy McMorris Rodgers. Working on the hill has been such a rewarding experience. I was in the gallery of the House when they passed the financial bailout and got to watch Speaker Pelosi make her statement before the vote was called. It was an unforgettable experience.

The Washington Semester program has been wonderful. I have had the opportunity to do so many memorable things. Not to mention the city is amazing. As someone who wanted to get away from Tacoma, but not necessarily to another country, this program was perfect. I STRONGLY recommend it. Please e-mail me at cmcgrane@ups.edu if you have any questions!

Leavenworth, WA-Jeremy Briggs Roberts, Artist in Residence at Icicle Creek MusicCenter and Music Director and Conductor of the Icicle Creek Youth Symphony andSummer Symphony, will lead the Washington Idaho Symphony as guest conductor in a pair of subscription concerts on November 1st at the Domey Gladish Auditorium inPullman, Washington, at 8:00 PM, and on November 2nd at Lewiston High School inLewiston, Idaho, at 3:00 PM. The exciting program of popular classics will includeMaurice Ravel's beautifully sensual Mother Goose Suite, a suite from Igor Stravinsky's groundbreaking ballet, The Firebird, and Ludwig van Beethoven's monumental and timeless Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67.

The Washington Idaho Symphony, providing professional orchestral concerts to thePalouse area of Washington State and to the nearby Lewiston, Idaho and Clarkston,Washington areas, was founded in 1972, received non-profit status in 1974, and hasgrown into a regional cultural asset. The Symphony's more than 70 instrumentalistsare primarily resident music faculty, professional free-lance musicians, and graduatestudents of Washington State University (Pullman, WA) and the University of Idaho(Moscow, ID).

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Do you maintain a weblog and attend college? Would you like $10,000 to help pay for books, tuition, or other living costs? If so, read on.

We're giving away $10,000 this year to a college student who blogs. The Blogging Scholarship is awarded annually.

Scholarship Requirements:

* Your blog must contain unique and interesting information about you and/or things you are passionate about. No spam bloggers please!!! * U.S. citizen or permanent resident; * Currently attending full-time in post-secondary education in the United States; and * If you win, you must be willing to allow us to list your name and blog on this page. We want to be able to say we knew you before you became a well educated, rich, and famous blogging legend.

Remember Thomas Friedman's McDonald's theory of international relations? The thinking was that if two countries had evolved into prosperous, mass-consumer societies, with middle classes able to afford Big Macs, they would generally find peaceful means of adjudicating disputes. They'd sit down over a Happy Meal to resolve issues rather than use mortars. The recent unpleasantries between Israel and Lebanon, which both have McDonald's operations (here and here, respectively) put paid to that reasoning. But the Golden Arches theory of realpolitik was good while it lasted.

In the same spirit, I propose the Starbucks theory of international economics. The higher the concentration of expensive, nautically themed, faux-Italian-branded Frappuccino joints in a country's financial capital, the more likely the country is to have suffered catastrophic financial losses...

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

On October 28 at 7 Steve Scher (KUOW) and Vaughn Palmer (Vancouver Sun) will do a live version of their weekly radio conversation (10:05 AM every wednesday, KUOW 94.9 FM) on the stage of Schneebeck Concert Hall at Puget Sound: "Cross-Border Framing of Environmental Issues".

This is funded by a grant from the Canadian Consulate, and by various Programs and Departments at Puget Sound, but is an initiative of our faculty and staff.

Please ask your colleagues and co-workers to formulate questions about US- Canadian environmental relations, and if you have a current class, please ask your students for questions. Everyone should mail these directly to me, Mott Greene (greene@ups.edu). I will forward these on to our speakers. There will also be open mikes for live questions, just as there is always a "call-in" segment on Scher's "Seattle Weekday."

There's no set topic. I plan to ask "Why do Canadians, when they build houses on islands, awalys build brown and green houses set in amongst the trees, and why do US island dwellers generally build something big and bright, and also cut down all the trees in front of it?"

Hope you will all attend, and will ask your friends, co-workers and students to attend as well. It is free and open to the public and will be "postered" when we return from Fall break, if not before.

Any Q or suggestions (both very welcome!!)please call me at 3782 or return e-mail to this address or greene@ups.edu.

Monday, October 20, 2008

From Ned Culhane '06 (that really tall guy in the back), a picture of a recent Puget Sound alum gathering in DC. I also see on the far right one of our current majors, Katrina Bloemsma '10, who is in DC this semester interning for Congressman Adam Smith.

Friday, October 17, 2008

The students putting together this journal asked me to blog this very cool idea:

Polisci Journal:

- This year, UPS will be putting out a political science journal composed of papers that students write this semester or have written in the past.- The journal has three main goals:o To establish a forum in which ideas and research related to political science may be shared and discussed.o To ensure that students’ hard work on papers does not go to waste.o To ultimately provide a collection of work that may be read and referred to by future students.The requirements for a submission are:- It must be a paper that relates to a contemporary political science issue (political theory papers are welcome, but remember that theoretical papers may have contemporary applications).- It may relate to any of the four sub-departments in the political science department: Theory, International Relations, U.S. Politics, or Comparative Politics.- Moreover, if it discusses any social science issue that is intimately related to politics, it may be submitted and will be considered with all the rest.- Papers of all lengths will be accepted.

Ultimately, we are hoping to not only have a printed version of the journal, but to put the journal online where it will be accessible for free to anyone who is interested. Furthermore, we will include discussion forums on all the papers so that readers can respond to the paper and discuss related ideas.

As of yet, there is no official title for the journal. Anyone with a catchy or creative title should e-mail it in.

Submissions should be e-mailed to hstevens@ups.edu. Details will follow on due dates for submissions, but get writing and get excited! Your work could be published!!

It was three in the afternoon, when we found ourselves surrounded by Mongolian university students in a cafeteria, dancing our hearts out to Justin Timberlake.

When first introduced to the idea of visiting the university, we were left with the impression that we would take a bus there, get a tour of the facilities, and maybe sit in on a class. Walking into the cafeteria that day, we immediately realized it was a mistake to assume anything when it comes to traveling in another country. At the front of the room, stood a podium, and two long tables, complete with bowls of candy and water for the honored guests—us.

We nervously looked out into the crowd of Mongolian students, sitting quietly through a lecture on Genghis Khan. We listened intently to a multi-tonal throat singing performance, clapped along with a traditional Mongolian dance, and awed at a beat box performance. After spending some time exchanging words with the students, we were asked to sit down again. Assuming another speaker was in line, we quietly munched on the candy provided to us. Then the music was turned on, the bass was pumped up, and everyone was told to get up and dance.

So we did. There are few things which the language barrier does not apply to. One is playing Frisbee, another may be music or an appreciation of a sunset, but one of them is most certainly dancing, as we demonstrated two days ago in a cafeteria in Mongolia.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

An increasing number of college-bound students who had favored private colleges are applying to public institutions in California and across the nation this fall as the faltering economy shrinks family savings and makes loans harder to find, experts say...

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

The last couple months I have been working at Earth Economics, an environmental non-profit in downtown Tacoma. The organization's philosophy is that of ecological economics, which looks at the interdependence between human interaction, economics, and ecosystems. It differs from environmental economics in that it draws from outside social sciences, natural science, and the humanities. Its focus is how to operate an economy within the ecological constraints of the earth's natural resources, placing a heavy emphasis on natural capital. The organization is engaged in a wide range of projects, but usually their work usually focuses on quantitative valuation of ecosystem services (essentially putting a price tag on the services provided by ecosystems) and providing technical expertise to both the public and private sector.

The organization has many local and regional projects (many in Washington State and some in Oregon), but also some international ones (including in Ecuador and China). If you are eligible for work-study, then you will receive an hourly wage. Otherwise, the internship is unpaid. Intern duties are mainly research on current projects to assist the staff. The ability to work independently and creatively are critical. Generally, interns are given a general task and the actual execution is left up to the intern. This is a great opportunity for developing analytical, research, and writing skills. It is one of the few places I have been able to find in Tacoma that has substantive international work. In addition, the atmosphere is fairly laid back. You can visit their website to learn more (http://www.eartheconomics.org/)

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

According to the number crunchers at fivethirtyeight, Obama has a 54% chance of winning over 375 electoral votes. They currently have him projected to win 360 to McCain's 178. Given skepticism in political science about the ability to predict elections, it will be interesting to see how this jibes with the election--

We are announcing a unique grant opportunity for your department’s faculty and students - EPA's P3 - People, Prosperity and the Planet - Program. Through this design competition, student teams and their faculty advisors apply for $10,000 grants to design scientific, technical, and policy solutions to sustainability challenges in the developed or developing world.

The challenge addressed by these projects can be in any of these areas:

water,

energy,

agriculture,

built environment,

materials & chemicals, or

information technology.

Past P3 teams have explored more efficient ways to produce biofuels, developed simple water treatment technologies for developing communities, produced a technology to measure real-time energy use in buildings, reduced hazardous substance use in laboratories through improved information and purchasing practices, optimized a framework for stakeholder involvement in urban redevelopment, and much more.Teams use the $10,000 grants to design and develop their projects throughout the 2009/2010 school year. Then in the spring of 2010 all teams will come to Washington, DC, to compete for EPA's P3 Award at the 6th Annual National Sustainable Design Expo. The students' projects will be evaluated by a panel of experts in all relevant fields, including sustainability. EPA will use these recommendations to choose the P3 Award winners who will be eligible for an additional grant up to $75,000 to further develop their designs, implement them in the field, and take them to the marketplace.Applications are due by December 23, 2008. Visit our Web site for more information and to view the P3 program video:http://www.epa.gov/p3For information about this request for applications go to:http://es.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2009/2009_p3.htmlFor basic information go to:http://www.epa.gov/ncer/p3/fact_sheet.html Please help us get the word out!

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Next week, on Thursday, October 16 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, I and some of my students will be participating in a Conference on Foreign Relations conference call with Robert Kagan. As you can see below, the topic to be discussed is one that should be of interest to a broad rangeof students. I'd be happy to accommodate any and all students and faculty interested in listening in.

Dear Educator:

On behalf of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and Foreign Affairs, I invite you and your students to participate in the next session of the CFR Academic Conference Call Series on Thursday, October 16, at a special time,1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Robert W. Kagan, senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, will discuss his recent Foreign Affairsarticle, "The September 12 Paradigm: America, the World, and George W. Bush."

In addition to his position at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Dr. Kagan writes a monthly column on world affairs for the Washington Postand is a contributing editor at both the Weekly Standard and the New Republic. Dr. Kagan is the author of several books, includingThe Return of History and the End of Dreams (Knopf 2008) and Dangerous Nation:America's Place in the World from its Earliest Days to the Dawn of the 20th Century(Knopf 2006), which was the winner of the 2008 Lepgold Prize and a 2007 finalist for the Lionel Gelber Prize. He served in the U.S. State Department from 1984 to 1988 as a member of the policy planning staff, as principal speechwriter for Secretary of State George P. Shultz, and as deputy for policy in the bureau of Inter-American affairs.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

The Gilman International Scholarship Program offers grants for U.S. citizen undergraduate students of limited financial means to pursue academic studies abroad. Such international study is intended to better prepare U.S. students to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world.

International experience is critically important in the educational and career development of American students, but it can also require a substantial financial investment. The Gilman Scholarship Program broadens the student population that studies abroad by supporting undergraduates who might not otherwise participate due to financial constraints. The program aims to encourage students to choose non-traditional study abroad destinations, especially those outside of Western Europe and Australia. The Gilman scholarship aims to support students who have been traditionally under-represented in study abroad, including but not limited to, students with high financial need, community college students, students in under-represented fields such as the sciences and engineering, students with diverse ethnic backgrounds, and students with disabilities. The program seeks to assist students from a diverse range and type of public and private institutions from all 50 states.

Award recipients are chosen by a competitive selection process and must use the award to defray eligible study abroad costs. These costs include program tuition, room and board, books, local transportation, insurance and international airfare.Gilman AwardsSpring deadline is coming soon on this; think about it also if you want to travel abroad next year--

Over 1,200 scholarships of up to $5,000 will be awarded this academic year for U.S. citizen undergraduates to study abroad. Award amounts will vary depending on the length of study and student need with the average award being $4,000. Undergraduate students who are receiving federal Pell Grant funding at 2-year or 4-year colleges or universities are eligible to apply.

Students who apply for and receive the Gilman Scholarship to study abroad are now eligible to receive an additional $3,000 Critical Need Language Supplement from the Gilman Program for a total possible award of up to $8,000. 25 Critical Need Language Supplements were offered to Gilman Scholarship recipients during the 2007-2008 academic year. There will be an increased number of Supplements this academic year.

This congressionally funded program is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State and is administered by the Institute of International Education -- Southern Regional Center in Houston, Texas.

We thought some of your students or advisees may be interested in thefollowing internship opportunity:

Here at the World Affairs Council in Seattle, we have quarterly unpaidinternships for up to 12 internationally-minded students in the PugetSound Community.

Our interns commit 12-15 hours per week during our office businesshours, which are 9am-5pm Monday through Friday for 10-12 weeks (3 - 6months). Our interns gain valuable hands on skills and perform basicoffice tasks plus special projects, which vary depending on thedepartment. In the past, special projects have included accompanyinghigh-level international delegates to their meetings in Seattle, writinggrants, and co-creating international curriculum for local schools.Whether your interest is in applying what you have learned in yourinternational affairs class, tweaking your office skills and resume, orfinding out about the inner workings of a not-for-profit, there are lotsof opportunities for you at the World Affairs Council! And what's more,after you complete your internship, you will receive a complementary oneyear membership plus receive monthly newsletters with job, intern, andvolunteer opportunities.

The World Affairs Council in Seattle has six departments which includeAdministration, Development, Membership, International Visitor Program,Community Program, and Global Classroom. If you are interested inapplying, please take some time to review the website atwww.world-affairs.org/aboutus_internships.html and take acloser look each department. You may submit your resume and coverletter to Ms. Mel Carnay at mcarnay@world-affairs.org . The deadline for the WinterQuarter internship is November 21, 2008.

If you have any questions, please contact our Office Manager, Ms. MelCarnay, at mcarnay@world-affairs.org. We regret that we are only toable to contact candidates selected for interviews.

The Sauvé Scholars Program exists for young leaders under the age of 30 from across the globe who want to change the world. The Scholars are chosen above all on the basis of criteria laid out by the Right Honourable Jeanne Sauvé:

Now entering its sixth year, the Sauvé Scholars Program has welcomed 74 Scholars from 39 different countries. Launched in 2003, the Sauvé Scholars Program has evolved from the Jeanne Sauvé Youth Foundation, created in 1991 by the late Jeanne Sauvé, the first woman to serve as Governor General of Canada, the country’s Head of State and Commander-in-Chief.

The Right Honourable Jeanne Sauvé was a woman of strength and vision. Throughout her distinguished career as youth activist, journalist, Minister of the Crown, Speaker of the House of Commons and ultimately Governor General, she remained at the forefront of the most socially progressive issues of her day, and was deeply committed to advancing the role of young leaders.

In June 1991 Mme Sauvé explained how the Jeanne Sauvé Youth Foundation came into being and her goals in establishing it:

Canadian Governors General have the privilege when they leave office of creating an institution which will bear their name …. At the end of my mandate, I decided that my contribution would be to establish a permanent international forum for young leaders. No such institution exists in the world and I strongly believe that the young leaders of the world have a pressing need to get involved in issues which confront their generation.

Each year, up to 14 remarkable young leaders are invited to come to Montreal for the academic calendar year. They live together in a beautifully restored mansion, enjoy unlimited access to McGill University’s academic programs and other resources – including lectures, conferences and events suited to the advancement of their individual professional and intellectual goals – while benefiting from the communal life and multi-faceted exchanges with their fellow Scholars.

The Sauvé experience, a period of personal and professional growth, is founded on:

* Intense exchange of ideas and experience, supported by communal life * Extensive intellectual freedom, allowing each participant to develop according to his or her needs and aspirations * Focus on action accompanied by a clear commitment to the community —including the host community * Commitment to dialogue among cultures, which allows participants to understand and assimilate viewpoints built within multiple frames of reference

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

From the Washington Post. It's not just my retirement fund that has dissipated of late. What's up with Puget Sound's endownment, I'm afraid to ask?

Universities and private schools nationwide were alarmed this week when Wachovia Bank effectively froze the short-term investment accounts they rely on as checking accounts to make payroll and other expenses. As part of its sale to Citigroup, Wachovia stopped managing the Commonfund, a nonprofit organization that runs short-term investment funds for about 1,000 colleges and independent schools.

Commonfund officials announced an infusion of capital yesterday, even as they sought to replace Wachovia. Commonfund is liquidating about 32 percent of the schools' short-term investment accounts, spokesman John S. Griswold said, adding, "We would hope that 32 percent being made available would help most through the next months."

The Wachovia sale will affect about 50 students at Marymount University in Arlington County who had loan packages with Wachovia. They will need to find a loan provider for the spring semester, said Chris Domes, a school vice president.

Monday, October 06, 2008

Gordon Thomas Honeywell Governmental Affairs (GTH-GA), one of Washington State’s largest lobbying firms, is looking for a governmental affairs intern to assist our growing team of consultants. GTH-GA prides itself on its educational internship program. Many of our previous interns subsequently entered the public policy/government field with the desired skills and network necessary to achieve success. Our former interns have been recruited to work in the Governor’s Office, the Washington State Legislature, and have been promoted to full-time consultants here at the firm. We hope to find another intern to continue this legacy of success.

The job will consist primarily of assisting our consultants on public policy projects. This includes activities such as researching legislation and state statutes, assistance in drafting media reports, assistance in drafting letters to legislators, preparing for the 2009 legislative session, etc. We hope to make this an educational experience, and will work to balance typical “intern” tasks with substantive work.

The ideal candidate will have excellent written and oral communications skills and an interest in government, public policy, or political science. We will accept applications from all areas of study and from any college grade level. However, there is a minimum 3.2 GPA requirement. The internship will be part-time (12-20 hours) and paid on an hourly basis. We are willing to accommodate the intern's class schedule with flexible hours and discuss possibilities to obtain academic credit.

The European Union Center of Excellence of Seattle is proud to present:

The Fifth AnnualWest Coast ModelEuropean Union

March 6-7, 2009University of Washington, Seattle

The European Union Center of Excellence in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington in Seattle is pleased to invite you to join us at the fifth West Coast Model European Union, March 6-7, 2009, where we will simulate the upcoming Czech EU Presidency of 2009. The goal of this simulation, in addition to acquiring in-depth knowledge about the European Union, is to provide students a forum in which to gain experience in public speaking and negotiation skills, to apply their research, organization and planning skills, and to meet with colleagues from a variety of schools while learning about teamwork and leadership.We recently sent out hard copy invitation to faculty members schools and faculty who have previously shown interest in the Model EU or have had ties to EU Center. This email follow-up is sent as a reminder and as a way to reach out to people who did not receive a hard copy invitation.

What is the Model EU?

The Model EU is a simulation of European Council summits that take place during a member country’s presidency. Teams of two undergraduate students play the roles of representatives of EU member state delegations. This year the students will negotiate issues to be discussed during the Czech presidency of 2009. The 2009 Model EU will feature two concurrent summit negotiation sessions focusing on the following issues: Energy Policy and Enlargement.

Who Can Participate

Each attending college or university is invited to send one or more teams with a faculty or staff advisor, who will also act as a judge. Depending on the response, we may limit the number of delegations each university/college may send. You may send your country requests, which will be taken into consideration, but country assignments will be made on a 'first-come, first-serve' basis. Please note that graduate students may not attend as team participants, although they may accompany teams as advisors.

What Can Participants Expect and What Is Expected of Participants

Students prepare by researching the issues to be negotiated and their country’s position on these issues. Participants are expected to produce and submit two documents prior to the conference: a position paper and proposed resolution in which they draft a resolution to bring to the negotiations before the conference. Individuals are also expected to actively participate in negotiations during the conference. Submission of these two documents by the due date (February 20, 2009) is required to be eligible for awards. Awards are given to individuals for their preparation, representation, and diplomacy. While many students who participate in the Model EU have some previous background in European Studies, most students are not EU specialists before signing up and students from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds are welcome.

Travel, Lodging & Food

Thanks to a European Commission grant, the European Union Center of Excellence of Seattle will provide one night of lodging for students in double or triple rooms at a hotel near the UW-Seattle campus for teams traveling from outside the Seattle area. The EU Center is unable to defray costs for the advisor or additional students outside of the allotted team assignments, although we can reserve a hotel room at the university rate. In addition to lodging, the EU Center of Seattle will provide dinner on March 6 at the opening session, lunch on March 7 during the simulation, as well as snacks for all student participants and judges (breakfast is provided by the hotel free of charge). Please note that due to our limited funding we can no longer provide transportation subsidies (e.g. flight, ferry, or ground transportation reimbursements).

How to Register

If schools are interested in sending a team, a faculty advisor should RSVP by email with a statement of interest, his or her contact information, and the contact information of all team members. In addition, a program fee of $30 per student, payable as a check or money order to the University of Washington, should be mailed to the European Union Center at the earliest possible date to the address below. (Credit cards cannot be accepted.) The program fee will offset the costs of materials and meals and may be paid by the institution or by the student. Please note that the faculty advisor is responsible for collecting all program fees and information. Students should not contact the European Union Center of Excellence individually.

Letters (or emails) of intent to participate should be received, from the faculty advisor, no later than October 31, along with requests for country assignments and desired number of delegations. We will begin assigning country delegations in early November. Student fees and the names of participating students are due no later than January 23, 2008. Any costs incurred from changes beyond this point will be the sole responsibility of the participating school and country delegations may be reassigned to a waiting list.

More Information

Information on the Model EU, including materials to help prepare for the event, including the Presidency’s agenda, will be posted to the West Coast Model EU web site

(http://jsis.washington.edu/euc/meu/) starting in January. More specific hotel and conference schedule information will be provided by early February. For questions or more information, please contact Karen Boschker, Outreach Coordinator for the EU Center of Excellence and the Center for West European Studies at the University of Washington, at euc@washington.edu or 206-616-2415.

Global Topics is a peer-reviewed undergraduate electronic journal featuring writing on international, transnational, global, and comparative topics from a variety of disciplines. It is produced by the Center for International Affairs at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire. Articles are written by undergraduates or are the product of collaborative undergraduate/faculty research.

The Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship, established in 1987, is a competitive national fellowship program that provides college graduates with the opportunity to gain a Washington perspective on key issues of peace and security. Twice yearly, the Fellowship's Board of Directors selects a group of outstanding individuals to spend six to nine months in Washington. Supported by a stipend, the Fellows serve as full-time junior staff members at the participating organization of their choice. The program also arranges meetings for the Fellows with policy experts. Many former Scoville Fellows have gone on to pursue graduate degrees in international relations and related fields and taken prominent positions in the field of peace and security with public-interest organizations, the Federal Government, and in academia. To date, 115 Fellowships have been awarded.

The Scoville Fellowship is currently accepting applications for the Spring 2009 semester. Click here for complete information. The deadline is October 15, 2008.

On Tuesday, October 21, the Jackson School of International Studies and the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA) will host a campus forum on graduate education in international affairs.

Admissions officers from participating schools will be in HUB Room 108 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm to distribute literature on their schools and answer questions from prospective applicants. Many of the country's best graduate programs in international affairs will be represented; as of today, 16APSIA schools have pledged to attend.

There is no admission fee, and reservations are not required. Attendees are encouraged to register, however, by visiting the APSIA website (www.apsia.org) and clicking on the "Seattle" Forum name. For additional information, call Student Services at the Jackson School of International Studies (206-543-6001).

Schools expected to attend:

University of California, San Diego Columbia University University of Denver Georgetown University The George Washington University Harvard University The Johns Hopkins University University of Maryland University of Michigan University of Minnesota University of Pittsburgh Princeton University University of Southern California Syracuse University Tufts University University of Washington

The Departments of History, Philosophy, and Politics, jointly with theThompson Rivers University History Club, invite submissions of proposalsfor individual research essays as well as proposals of panels for theThompson Rivers University Undergraduate Conference in History,Philosophy , and Politics. All historical periods and all regions areencouraged as focal areas. Presenters must adhere to a 20 minute timelimit in presentations, and must indicate if audio-visual and internetaccessible tools are required. For individual paper proposals, send anabstract (maximum 350 words) outlining the research essay to bepresented, along with name, institutional affiliation, email and postaladdresses, and phone number. For panel proposals, please provide thenames of each presenter on the panel, as well as a suggested generaltitle for the panel, and individual abstracts of each presenter'spaper (including name, affiliation, email and postal addresses, andphone number). Panel proposals must designate a contact person, andmust be submitted as one complete packet. Panels must be comprised ofno more than 3 (three) presenters, with presentations not exceeding 20minutes each, to allow for moderator remarks and questions. Graduatestudent and secondary school attendance is welcome, though presentationsare limited to undergraduate level students.

We are pleased to announce the inclusion of a theme panel on "StudentCulture in Small City Universities," sponsored by theCommunity-University Research Alliance (CURA). Students are encouragedto submit proposals that address any aspect of this theme and that useany approach. Students who wish their paper to be considered for thispanel should state so explicitly in their proposal. This CURA panelwill be accompanied by a visual art exhibit on "Culture in SmallCommunities" hosted by the TRU Art Gallery.Submissions may be sent by email to: phpconf@mytru.ca

Anne Gagnon, Ph.D.Assistant Professor, History& Director of the Centrefor the Study of Canada andCoordinator of the Canadian Studies Program

I had a very interesting survey sent along to me from Mark Scott '74. The survey of 275 employers was conducted by George Washington's Elliott School of International Affairs. One small sample below of what employers viewed as the important qualifications for graduate students entering the job market in international affairs: